Memory Pairs (Concentration) – ESL Game Idea

Target Vocabulary: Any vocabulary set.

Materials: Any flash cards that have two of a kind or are opposites.

Game Play:

Shuffle the cards and lay them face down on the floor or table. Laying them in a grid pattern tends to speed up the game and makes it easier for younger children. The student to your left begins by turning over two cards, one at a time. As they turn over a card they have to produce the target language. If the student turns over two identical cards, they get to keep them by removing them from the grid. If the cards are different, they are turned over again and the turn passes to the next student. Personally, I prefer to allow individuals to guess only one pair of cards per turn, as this gives every student an equal opportunity to speak. When all the cards have been found, the student with the most pairs wins.

Note 1: Ideally, the cards should be as small as possible, otherwise they will take up a lot of space.